Fleece Baby Jumpsuit

One of the magical things about babies is that no matter their shape or size, they always seem perfect. Long and lean, totally chubby or just a little pipsqueak, every baby I meet makes me think, “Oh, yes! That is exactly the way a baby should be!”

Unfortunately, baby clothes don’t come in as many sizes as the babies themselves. From the day my daughter, Nieve, was born she was too tall for newborn sizes but was too small to fit in anything larger without looking like she was on an early enrollment plan for clown school. Knowing that my baby couldn’t be the only one struggling to find a suit that fits, I designed this one-pattern-fits-most Fleece Baby Jumpsuit. With just a few easy adjustments, this pattern will fit almost any baby of almost any shape or size from ages 0-9 months. That’s right, we’re talking bespoke babywear!

Not only did I want this Jumpsuit to fit, but I also wanted it to be cozy and warm. Michael Miller’s Organic Cotton Fleece makes this piece so soft and cuddly, and the juxtaposing fuzzy and smooth sides of the fabric add a bit of playfulness to the monochrome palette.

Despite its made-to-measure details, the simple lines, limited seams and forgiving fabric make this Jumpsuit a breeze to whip up. This is a very good thing, since my little beanstalk may need a new one every month! — Corinne

These are enough materials to make one Jumpsuit to fit sizes 0-9 months.

Sizes

These are the finished measurements of the standard template without any alterations:

Notes

Prewash and dry the fabric before starting. The Fleece will shrink a little and get a beautiful, fluffy texture.

Both sides of the fabric are used as right and wrong sides in the pattern. When necessary, the two sides are referred to as “fuzzy” and “smooth”.

Use ¼-inch seam allowances unless otherwise noted.

Pattern

Print and Prepare the Template

Print all pieces of the Template from the pdf. Cut and piece the paper as indicated on the Template.

Add Length to Torso

To add length to the torso of the Jumpsuit, cut along the line marked “Lengthen Here” on the Jumpsuit Front and Back, and the two Front Facing pieces.

From a separate piece of paper, cut three 11-inch strips whose width measures the amount you wish to add. I wanted to add 2 inches to the length of the torso, so I cut three 2 x 11-inch strips.

Insert one of these strips into the Jumpsuit Front template at the “Lengthen Here” line, lining up one short end of the strip with the curve on the right side of the template. Tape in place.

With a straight edge and a pen, draw a line connecting the Template pieces through the newly added paper strip on the left side.

Cut along this line.

With a straight edge and a pen, draw a line connecting the Widen Here line from the top Template piece to the bottom.

Repeat with the remaining two strips for the Front Facing and the Jumpsuit Back.

Add Width to Torso

To add width to the Jumpsuit, cut along the line marked “Widen Here” on the Jumpsuit Front and Back pieces.

From a separate piece of paper, cut four 11-inch strips whose width measures a quarter of the width you wish to add. I wanted to add 1 inch to the width of my Jumpsuit, so I cut four ¼ inch x 11-inch strips

Insert one of these strips into the Jumpsuit Front Template at the “Widen Here” line, lining up the short edge of the strip with the shoulder edge. Tape in place.

Insert a second strip, lining up the short edge of the strip with the bottom of the leg. Tape in place.

Repeat with the remaining two strips and the Jumpsuit Back.

Add Length to Legs and/or Arms

To add length to the legs, cut 2 strips whose width measures the amount you wish to add. I wanted to add 1 inch to the length of the legs, so I cut two 1-inch wide strips. Make sure the strip is at least as wide as the leg.

Tape one strip to the bottom of the leg of the Jumpsuit Front. With a straight edge and a pen, extend the outline of the Template to the bottom edge of the newly added strip. Cut along these lines.

Repeat with the remaining strip and the Jumpsuit Back.

Add length to the arms in the same fashion.

Cut

You will use the prepared Template pieces to pin and cut the following pieces:

2 Front Facings

2 Jumpsuit Fronts

1 Jumpsuit Back, on the fold

1 Back Facing, on the fold

1 Gusset, on the fold

But first, be sure to line up the grain line properly. Here’s how . . .

The Organic Fleece has one grain line and it runs parallel to the selvedge and along the line of the knit. This line should run length-wise on all pieces of the Jumpsuit.

Also, be sure that you cut the Front Facing and Front Jumpsuit pieces with the proper orientation. Here’s how . . .

For the Front Facing, cut one with the right side of the fabric facing up and one with the wrong side of the fabric facing up. The two Front Facings should be mirror images of each other.

For the Front Jumpsuit, cut both pieces with the fuzzy side facing up. The two Front Jumpsuit pieces should look exactly the same.

Attach the Back Gusset

To find the midpoints of the Gusset and the Back Jumpsuit, fold the Gusset in half lengthwise and press. Unfold. Fold the Jumpsuit Back in half lengthwise and press. Unfold.

With the fuzzy side of the Gusset facing the smooth side of the Jumpsuit Back, lay the Gusset upside down on the upright Jumpsuit Back, with the center creases lined up and with the top edge of the Gusset meeting the bottom edge of the Jumpsuit Back, as shown above. Pin together the two pieces at the bottom edge of the center crease.

Moving out from the center, first in one direction and then the other, pin the Gusset to the Jumpsuit Back along the curve, making sure to match up the cut notches.

Sew around the pinned curve. Press the seam in toward the Gusset.

Sew the Shoulder Seam

Lay the Jumpsuit Back flat with the smooth side facing up. Lay the Front Jumpsuit pieces on top, lining up the shoulder edge. Lay the Front piece on the left with its fuzzy side facing up and the piece on the right with its smooth side facing up.

Pin along the shoulder edge. Sew along the pinned line.

Press the seam open.

Sew the Facing Pieces

Lay the Back Facing piece flat with the smooth side facing up. Lay the Front Facing pieces on top, fuzzy sides up, lining up the shoulder edges.

Pin along the shoulder edges. Sew along the pinned lines.

Press the seams open.

Attach the Facing

With right sides facing, line up the top edge of the Back Facing with the top edge of the Jumpsuit Back. Pin in place, making sure to line up the shoulder seams on both pieces.

Now line up the Front Facings with the curved lines of the Front Jumpsuit pieces and pin.

Sew along the pinned lines of the front and back pieces.

Fold the Facings inside the jumpsuit and press flat.

Stitch along the raw edge at the back of the neck through both the Back Facing and the Jumpsuit Back, making sure not to cross the shoulder seams onto the front pieces. Backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam.

Sew the Inseam

With a fabric marker, make a small mark on the center crease of the Gusset crease ¼-inch up from the bottom edge. (If you need to refresh the Gusset’s center crease, fold the Jumpsuit Back in half lengthwise and re-press the gusset and unfold.) If you do not have a fabric marker, you can also mark this spot with a pin.

Starting with the left Jumpsuit Front (the side with the fuzzy side as the right side), and right sides facing, line up the notch on the leg of the Jumpsuit Front with the Gusset seam on the Jumpsuit Back. Pin in place.

Continue to pin along the inseam curve and down the leg.

The inseam of the Jumpsuit Front will not reach the center point of the gusset, but the sewn hem of the front flap should meet on the mark you made on the center crease. Pin the Jumpsuit Front in place where the sewn hem meets the center mark.

Sew along the pinned edge, backstitching at the beginning and end of the seam.

Repeat with the other side. The two Jumpsuit Front pieces should overlap at the center crease of the Gusset.

Sew Front and Back Pieces Together

With right sides still facing, pin all the sleeve and side seams on both sides. Sew along the pinned edges.

Hem

Turn up the bottom of the legs and sleeves ½ inch toward the wrong side, press and pin. Edge stitch, backstitching at the end of the seam.

Attach the Snaps

The number of snaps you will use depends on how much length you added to your template. Since I added 2 inches of length, our example uses two snaps.

Turn the Jumpsuit right side out. With a fabric marker, make a mark on the inside of the top flap where you would like to place your snaps. We placed ours ¼ inch in from the two rounded edges of the flap.

Close the top flap and make a mark on the bottom flap at the point where the snap marks hit.

If you do not have a fabric marker, you can also mark these spots with pins.

Sew the snaps in place. When sewing the snaps on the top flap, make sure to sew through the Facing fabric only.

please help, I have been trying for 2 days to print the instructions for this darling jumpsuist. I was able to print the pattern but the instructions just go to a new screen of the baby in the jumpsuit. thanks for your help, my new grand child is due feb 12, in ma. the babe will need warm things the way the winter is going. thanks again, jane

please help, I have been trying for 2 days to print the instructions for this darling jumpsuist. I was able to print the pattern but the instructions just go to a new screen of the baby in the jumpsuit. thanks for your help, my new grand child is due feb 12, in ma. the babe will need warm things the way the winter is going. thanks again, jane

I do not have a baby to sew or knit for at the moment…but I am going to go out and find one!! This is absolutely precious….it will be a pure joy to make..and then finding a baby to give it to will be another joy!! Thank you hardly seems adequate for you for providing so much pleasure to this world!!Julie

Does the base pattern, without any widening or lengthening work for the newborn size, and then add form there as the baby grows? Or, does it always need added length/width, even from the start? On this sample, where you added 2" in length & 1" in width, what size is the baby? Would love to make this as a gift, but I don't have a baby to measure from!

Thank you so much for your nice comment! We wouldn't recommend adapting this pattern into a sleep sack because of the safety issues involving sleepwear for babies. But we are so happy to hear that you like it!

Hi Corinne,thanks so much for sharing this unique baby suit. I'm in a strong nest-building session which means looking for easy AND cute stuff. And your baby suit and the baby bonnet will be definitly on top of my list!Your site is gorgeous!Mareike

I love this! One of my best friends had a baby girl just this morning and I can't wait to make lots of tiny soft and pink gifts! Thank you for this gorgeous design. I can't wait to make it! I'm going to be pairing this with the knit baby moc's listed on purl bee as well. Thanks for the wonderful ideas!

Without testing the pattern myself I cannot say how this would be adapted for a lightweight jersey. The fleece has a bit of stiffness that gives the jumpsuit its structure and with only a two-way stretch, you don't have to worry about any tugging or distortion on the diagonal seams that I would worry about with a jersey.

For a summer baby, I would be more confident working this pattern in a cotton woven. It wouldn't have the stretch that this garment has, but if you make it with the same sizing, there should be plenty of ease for a small baby to wriggle around comfortably!

Hi Corinne,Love this jumpsuit! It looks so cuddly and warm. I'm a grandma who has been sewing for my grandson and for my granddaughter who is due in May. My daughter has expressed an interest in names beginning with the letter "n". How do you pronounce Nieve?

THANK YOU. ~:}I am sewing like made for several new grand-babies and this one pattern you have shared is going to keep them all warm and toasty!!Thank you again, and have a wonderful day Sheila ~;} http://www.BudgieLand.com

Any heavier weight one-way stretch knit will work great with this project. You could also try a cotton woven for something lighter weight. It wouldn't have the stretch that this garment has, but if you make it with the same sizing, there should be plenty of ease.

All my grandkids are grown., but I know a little boy that’s on the way that will love snuggling in this! Ever thought about adding feet to this pattern? I’m going to try, and also extend the sleeves into a turn back cuff to keep little fingers warm! Love ALL your designs!.. Char

This is a great pattern! But I think the recommended amount of fabric may be excessive? I bought 1 yard of Michael Miller Organic Sherpa and found it to be plenty, even after all the shrinking in the wash. Unless Michael Miller Organic Fleece shrinks a lot more or folks are adding a ton of extra room for really big babies, 1 yard or max 1.5 yards seems plenty.

Thank you so much for this wonderful pattern! It was easy to follow and produced the most gorgeous jumpsuit. My only concern is that it didn’t actually take 2 yards of fabric as recommended. I bought 1 year of the Michael Miller Organic Sherpa, and even after all the shrinkage from washing it was still plenty. It would be great if you could revisit the recommended yardage, as the cost of two yards of fabric put me off from making this for months.

I am so glad you like the pattern! Thank you for writing in – and all your kind words!

I recommended 2 yards for this pattern to accommodate shrinkage and flexibility in sizing, but it’s great to hear that you were able to make it using less! I will adjust the yardage now to let people know that less yardage is needed for smaller sizes.

If you are looking for something to do with all your extra yardage of fabric, you can see all of our projects using Michael Miller Sherpa right here:

I’m sorry you’re having a hard time finding the right materials! This project is actually made in Michael Miller’s Organic Cotton Fleece (not the Sherpa), though either material would work great (the Sherpa is a little heavier and has more stretch, so you could consider making the garment with a closer fit). It looks like both the Fleece and the Sherpa are available on the Purl Soho site now:

Great pattern! My sewing club is making baby/infant clothes for a local charity that supports young mothers in need and this is just perfect. I used regular fleece and found that a yard was enough for the smaller size. Any suggestions on how to make it with short sleeves using cotton woven?

Thank you for your kind words on the pattern! And, it is wonderful to hear that it was used for such a great purpose!

I haven’t made the jumpsuit in a woven, so I can’t say for sure what adjustments you would need to make, but I wouldn’t think there would be many. To make short sleeves, you should be able to simply cut the sleeves shorter and hem, making sure that the hem hits the sleeve before the underarm curve.

I hope this helps!
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
-Corinne

This is adorable – love it and thanks for sharing! I am not a great sewer, so I am hoping I can do this! Is it pretty simple? Your directions and photos seem very nice! Just out of curiosity, could this be hand sewn or would that not work out well? I have a new grandbaby arriving in a few months. Thank you again!

The jumpsuit is pretty simple to put together. I think you can do it! However, I would suggest using a machine for the sewing. I actually think it will make the construction easier and it will be more forgiving with the knit fabric.

As always, we are here to help if you need anything along the way!
-Corinne

Is there a reason for using both the fuzzy and flat sides of the fabric on the outside of this precious suit, other than interest? Would it be warm enough for outer wear in the winter? My husband is flying home with this fabric from your shop as we speak and I’m anxious to make it for the new grandbaby he just visited for the first time. I love that it has a gusset like the one on the linen baby pants, which turned out beautifully.

Thank you for your kind words about this pattern. I’m so glad that you are inspired to make one for your new grand baby!

The reason we used both sides of the Fleece for the front flaps of the Jumpsuit is just as you guessed it, purely for interest! You can just as easily make both flaps with the flat or fuzzy side up if you prefer.

The Fleece is about the weight and warmth of a thick, fuzzy sweatshirt. Warm enough for the cool days of fall, but probably not quite thick enough for the depth of winter, depending on climate.

Finally, the gusset on the Jumpsuit is just the same as the gusset on the linen pants, but easier to pin since the Fleece is knit!

I hope all this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions as you work on this project!
-Corinne

The link to the instructions goes to a 404 error…wondering if there’s a new link to get them? My dear friend is having a sweet babe soon and this is the cosiest, cutest thing and I think I might even be able to pull it off!

I’m so sorry you’re having trouble getting this pattern! I’ve checked all the links that I could on my end and they seem to be working. Please let me know if you continue to have problems downloading the template and I would be happy to email you directly with the PDF.

Curved seams can be quite tricky. I often end up pinning, and repining a few times myself! I hope that you were able to get it all together in the end! Please let us know if we can help with any specific issues you had.

Thank you ever so much for the lovely pattern. Although I am a student of English, all the technical sewing terms had me really confused at the beginning – this is something you do not learn at German universities 😉 Hence, the pictures provided with each step helped lots! I used a padded cotton fabric, and although it was far less forgiving than a fleece fabric might be, it still turned out extremely cute. This is the first time I ever used a template and I am very proud of my slightly uneven result. I am sure my Baby will love it despite ist minor flaws 😉
Thanks and all the best,
Romy

Hello
This jumpsuit looks lovely!
For some reason I only get errors when trying to open the link to the pattern. Has it maybe been moved somewhere else? I’ve also already tried the links in the comments, with no luck either.
I would really love to sew this jumpsuit for my baby due in October.
Can you email me the pattern, please?

I cannot wait to make this suit, again. I was so excited to sew that I didn’t bother to come back here to read the instructions and didn’t tape the template together before cutting. My first suit will look more patch work than this, but I’m sure it will look fabulous.

It looked so sweet, unfortunately it is a bit too loose, especially the legs. My little girl has naked legs because they pull up all the time. Or maybe my girl is too tall for her age. The lengh fit with 3 month.

Thanks for writing in! I am so sorry to hear that the fit isn’t right for your little girl. Babies come in so many shapes and sizes that it can sometimes be hard to predict what will fit them. You can certainly add a few inches to the legs by cutting the pattern and extending it a little.

Hi, I want to sew this cute jumpsuit. I printed and cut the pattern already. Now I cannot find out if the pattern is with seam allowance or without. Maybe it is written somewhere and I just don´t find it. Will you be so kind to help.
Kind regards
Marliese

Great tutorial! the only problem is that there is no inch x inch control square in the pattern. this makes a big possibility of error while printing the pattern and makes things even worse for those who use metric system…

Hi. I love your jumpsuit for babies. My daughter expects twins, and I would love to sew this jumpsuit. But I cannot find the pattern in a natural size. When I print it from PDF, it is for tiny Dolls. Can You please help me – Thanks in advance Tina

Thank you so much for this pattern. I’m thinking that with minor modifications it would work really well from a premature baby suit. Depending on whether my next grandchild is premature as well, I will have a go at the modifications, but I think all it needs is opening legs and arms (because of all the tubes etc.) The wrap over style is perfect though, and I would make it in really soft flannel. I may have a go anyway, because the NICUs are always in need.

Hi M,
To sew the snaps, Otis basically like sewing on a button, you will place the snaps at the designated marks and then sew it down where the small holes are. When sewing the snaps on the top flap, make sure to sew through the Facing fabric only.